Erik from BL starting week 2 and he's craving something....

Ok so I completed week 1 of the Spinning 8 Week Weight Weight Loss Program. I have to say the more I read through my binder the more I realize my ideals and philosophy behind weight loss are right in line with the developers including Jennifer Ward Master Spinning Instructor. And when I say in line I'm not crazy enough to put myself on the same platform as dietitians and nutrition experts. I have found through the real life experience of losing and gaining 100s of lbs mostly through extreme measures that I had not made permanent changes and inevitably struggled. This program offers something we can all identify with...maintain weight loss indefinitely by living a healthy lifestyle. I have come to deeply believe in that notion and I know it is the only way to be successful. Hard core food restriction always ends up having the opposite effect because somewhere in the back of our minds we say to ourselves I'll get back to all my old favorites (the pizza, chocolate chip cookies, beer or whatever) and when the "diet" (a word I avoid, and a whole other discussion) ends, we come back to the demons and in a big way. So the key is not to feel deprived and live your real life, aka healthy lifestyle not this fictitious, extreme, restricted life that is always temporary. And btw some of those old favorites do not have to be forgotten just can't have them every day!
Last week I was working with 2 healthy habits as per the 8 week program. I did great with the water drinking (Healthy Habit #2) at least 64 ounces a day. Pretty easy for me since I down a good portion of that during Spinning class. If you struggle getting your water down there are some great tips in the manual. Carrying around the 24 oz sport water bottle with me in the car and office and re filling helps a ton.
So what about Healthy Habit #1. Stay between 3(hungry ready to eat) and 6(comfortably full) on the hunger scale. I normally do not work Sundays but I had some work to do in the office. At some point I decided to skip lunch since there was no one else to order with me...bad call! I ended up coming home for dinner ravenous, in the scale I was a 1 (Starving and Irritable!). So what happens is you come home and you eat and graze right up until dinner is prepared, in fact I was snacking as I prepared dinner all healthy snacks but when you add up a couple of cheese sticks, a yogurt, bunch of handfuls of nuts etc etc and then dinner it ends up being way too much food. My lesson learned: prepare for later instead of just letting the day unfold and saying oh well I had no choice. I could have brought a lunch in fact I bet if I asked my wife she would've prepared something for me (I'd probably owe her a favor but I can handle it). I could have picked up something there are tons of places that aren't fast food (I'm in NY). So many better ways to handle lunch, I just got lazy and told myself skipping will be less calories therefore more weight loss. I know that to be BS but for some strange reason I tried that again. More life experience to listen too!
So all in all I had a great week, I completed all of my exercise: spinning classes and some weight training. I also did a Yoga class with my wife and remembered how much I love it. The last time I did Yoga was with Bob from BL so its been awhile!
I look forward to this week. Healthy habits to follow for week 2, eating a healthy breakfast every day...no problem you ask me to eat? I can handle that!
The other Healthy Habit no snacking after dinner, ok that makes sense. I see how this works we add a little take away a little, sounds reasonable.
My plan is to add these 2 habits and hold on to the 2 from last week.
If I can keep all these habits as a part of my every day life, I am for sure going to get what I really crave.....
To lead that healthy lifestyle. Really do it and not just say I am because it sounds right.
That's the life we can all truly enjoy!